We drove right past that no trespassing sign. Although we usually used it for hauling the guys around and causing chaos, the truck itself didn’t feel all that empty with Jimin sitting next to me, blinking at the stars through the passenger seat window.

 

He shot his hand back and nearly startled me as his warm fingers made contact with my forearm. “Stop here,” he said, and I stepped on the brake. It was his idea to come out here, something about watching the planes take off and talking about life. Personally, I couldn’t figure how Jimin discovered this illegal ground in the first place.

 

He opened the door and hopped down to the ground, turning to look at me with a whimsical gaze. “C’mon, I saw one on the runway already!” He shut the door with an unintentional slam and dashed off to go sit on the tailgate.

 

I turned the music up before rolling my window down and slipping out of the truck, the steady bass of the current song reverberating throughout the open air. Joining Jimin at the back of the truck, I hoisted myself up next to him and leaned back on my arms. The sounds of plane engines gradually roaring to life made him smile, I noticed.

 

“So cool,” he cooed, flipping the falling strands of his brown locks from his eyes. He looked my way and I chuckled at his childish wonder.

 

“Right,” I agreed, shrugging my shoulders up a bit. “Just think of how many people are on there too, not realizing they’re secretly being watched.”

 

“Don’t put it like that, we’re not some strange flight ers or something.” Jimin pursed his lips, focusing back on the plane slowly preparing to take off. “Well, at least I’m not.”

 

I rolled my eyes and gave him a friendly shove, to which he responded with an airy laugh. “Whatever. You’re the one who suggested coming out here in the first place.” My orbs subconsciously followed the direction Jimin was looking. “Why do you like this place?”

 

He sighed, and I felt like I may have pricked a small nerve. “I’m just jealous, that’s all.” His body fell back on the metal bed of the truck, his face contorted with a sad sort of smile. “All of these people, taking off to and fro, heading off to all these different corners of the world… I want to leave too.”

 

“What do you mean? Don’t you like it here?” I angled my head back at my troubled friend. There were plenty of reasons for him to be happy with this place: partners-in-crime like Taehyung and Jungkook and the other three guys that make up our group of “bulletproof boyscouts”, the closely related neighborhoods and the tight bonds between them, and of course me. From the way he was talking, it was as though he’d had his stuff packed from the get go, and that saddened and irritated me for some reason. I was just glad I was able to hide it well enough.

 

“Yeah, I love this place, but it’s about time I go out and see more. I’ve been cooped up in this town my whole life, I’ve got to experience other things someday.” His eyes darted towards me as he slowly placed his hand over mine. I didn’t think anything of it at the time.

 

“You could come with me,” he spoke softly, watching the twinkling night sky just as the plane lifted from the ground. “Once we graduate, we can just go.”

 

As I said, I didn’t think anything of it. Aside from a bit of surprise, I was quick to respond. “We better start mapping destinations then.” I felt a smile grace my lips as I shifted, about to slink down next to Jimin and continue this pleasant future talk.

 

We heard sirens in the distance and sat up only to be blinded by an oncoming police car. Jimin jumped off the tailgate and shielded his eyes, cursing under his breath just as I did out loud. “Man, well isn’t this some …”

 

“Freeze!” The cop stepped out of the car with a flashlight aimed at us both, proceeding with typical dialogue. “Put your hands where I can see them!”

 

Jimin didn’t listen at first. “Uh, excuse me,” he squinted at the officer’s badge but failed to read a name, “we weren’t causing any harm. We were just-”

 

“Enough with the horse crap, kid. You were breaking the law as soon as you drove past that sign and fence.” I grit my teeth as the cop continued. “Now, hands up before this gets ugly!”

 

I lifted my arms with another unnoticeable eye roll, but not before catching a glimpse of Jimin. His face held a shocked expression, his lips parted as if he had many excuses but couldn’t voice any properly. The blue light of the patrol car continuously flashed in his eyes and I couldn’t look away for a few seconds.

 

The next thing I knew, however, the officer waltzed over and shoved Jimin to the ground, strapping him in handcuffs behind his back. Jimin was forcing out a string of curse words in attempts to possibly persuade the cop to let us loose, but did just the opposite. I was too busy watching him go crazy to be worried about going to jail, and I barely budged as I was next to be handcuffed.

 

As we were lead to the cop car, I whipped my head around back at the truck. The was just planning on leaving it here! “Excuse me, officer,” I tried, biting my lip rather than full on barking at him, “what are you going to do with the pickup?”

 

“I’ll call someone in, have them tow it-” the douche smirked, “who knows what’ll happen then.”

 

I rolled my eyes once more. “Would you at least be kind enough to turn the radio off? The battery will be fried at this rate, sir.”

 

The of his flashlight came up quick underneath my chin. “Lose that attitude, boy,” he snarked, grumbling as he turned and strode back towards the truck.

 

“That wasn't very smart on his part, being provoked by you like that,” Jimin huffed, shaking his bound wrists behind him. “We could just take off and have someone pick the keyholes. That is, if we were actually criminals.”

 

“Who’s to say I'm not a crazed serial killer, or even just some common house burglar?” I joked at first, but realization began dawning on me as Jimin laughed. “Oh God, what if we’re going to be reported as terrorists? He totally thinks we were going to blow up the flight line!”

 

“Calm down, Yongo,” Jimin said calmly, strangely putting me at ease with the use of my childhood nickname. “You know, we could always just run for it, leave one of the hyungs to get the truck back.”

 

I was astounded with the look of freedom in his eyes, and I almost stared too long before the cop returned. “You turds didn't think of ditching the scene, did you?” He looped his fingers on the chain of my cuffs and opened the right door, throwing me in gruffly. I watched as Jimin was carelessly led to the opposite side and tossed in the car the same way.

 

Jimin quickly scooted in front of the door, holding it open with the side of his arm before the officer could slam it. “Yah, officer!” he developed this strange, delinquent tone that made me choke. “You got a lighter on you? I need a smoke right about now. I've got a pack in my back pocket, if you'd be willing to help a guy out.” He wiggled his eyebrows and I lost it, doubling over with laughter. I wasn’t purposefully trying to be disrespectful, but it was just so stupid- the fact that Jimin had never even glanced at a cigarette before, wanting to smoke it, but was now claiming he was hooked.

 

“All right, shut up!” The cop brought a fist down hard on the roof of the car. “You two need some serious punishment, not even just for sneaking out here this late! Oh, I swear…” The door was shut loudly, Jimin and I still tearing up at the cop with a stick up his . We tried watching and not laughing as he strode around the vehicle, his mouth blabbering widely with inaudible complaints. He plopped down into his seat and turned the radio on, obviously reporting the pair of high school seniors he’d picked up who were “up to no good”.

 

There wasn’t a single word more out of him, and the laughter in the back of the car eventually died down as we drove away from the outskirts of the flight line. I looked over and Jimin was staring at the floor, eyes glazed over and rid of that careless, delighted shine that I sort of began to fancy moments ago.

 

I scooted closer to Jimin as we continued driving down the returning road back to the city, knocking my elbow against his. “This isn’t a problem, don’t worry,” I tried comforting him, since it had seemed to dawn on him that wow, we really were just arrested and will probably be held for the night, if not worse. “The guys can get us out if we need it. We didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t think so much about it.” It was hard to tell him not to think about it, seeing as I wasn’t taking my own advice.

 

Jimin blinked and jerked his head up, locking eyes with me. “Huh? Oh no, I don’t care about all this. I was honestly just wondering if this guy’s got someone at home waiting for him.” He nodded his head at the driver’s seat. “What better things could this man be doing now, I wonder? His wife could be severely missing him, the children distraught and and restless in their beds tonight, awaiting their oh-so brave father’s return…”

 

I couldn’t help but snort. “Save that plot for the TV dramas, Jiminnie.”

 

“Seriously though, why does he have to be so uptight? I thought this was movie stuff, police officers being all grumpy and huffy, but it looks like I was-”

 

“What the hell did I say to you fools? Quit your squabbling!”

 

We laughed some more, quite loudly in fact, as it was only more amusing by how pissy the law enforcer was reacting. He was taking his time riding us back to the station, but we didn’t mind. I myself was too busy witnessing Jimin go all wild child, but I could easily see his true purity in the eye smile on his face.

 

I sighed.

 

He was so innocent… but he was stealing my heart.

So much for me, falling in love in the back of a cop car.